The problem of overdrawing groundwater in southern parts of the country can only be permanently solved through a complete readjustment to the nation’s industrial environment, Public Construction Commission (PCC) Minister Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源) said yesterday.
Lee, who took office earlier this month, was invited to brief lawmakers on the Transportation Committee about the operations of the commission.
Many legislators questioned Lee about land subsidence problems in Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi counties, which they said could threaten the safety of the high-speed rail system.
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp recently launched a construction project to reinforce the railway bridge in Yunlin, as the piers have reportedly sunken more than 63cm in the past eight years.
Lee said measures taken by the corporation would be to little avail if the nation failed to curb the overdrawing of groundwater in those counties.
“It [drawing groundwater] can help provide as much as 2 billion tonnes of additional water to residents in those counties,” Lee said. “The problem is that they have overdrawn it by a total of 4 billion. So we should stipulate guidelines governing a safe use of groundwater.”
Lee said that to resolve the land subsistence problem he would propose a comprehensive water control plan to the Executive Yuan.
Several lawmakers also asked Lee to share his views on the controversial Kuokuang Petrochemical Project.
Lee said he had never opposed the project and understood the impact on the industry if the project failed, but he said that it was inappropriate to have the petrochemical plant built in Changhua County.
“The petrochemical industry is a water-consuming industry,” he said. “More than half of the water supply in Changhua comes from groundwater. Having the plant built in Changhwa would only exacerbate the land subsistence problem.”
Although he said the government could consider building the plant in other parts of the country, he declined to mention any specific area.
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